The Thyroid Blog

FAQ on Saliva and Bloodspot Testing for Hormone Levels

Many readers write to me asking about saliva and blood spot testing for thyroid and other hormones, and why it may be of interest to some patients and practitioners.

Recently, ZRT Laboratories launched its Comprehensive Hormone Profile home test kit, which combines saliva and blood spot testing in a home collection kit.  The kit allows for same-day testing of the three major hormonal symptom areas - reproductive, thyroid and adrenal. 

The Comprehensive Hormone Profile tests:

• Sex/Reproductive Hormones: Estradiol, Progesterone, Testosterone
  
• Adrenal Hormones: DHEA, Cortisol (AM, noon, evening and PM)
  
  
• Thyroid Hormones: TSH, FreeT3, FreeT4, TPO
  
  

Find out more about this important resource now.

Anxiety Disorders Surprisingly Common Yet Often Untreated

A new study by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. reports that nearly 20 percent of patients seen by primary care physicians have at least one anxiety disorder. The study outlines the effectiveness of a new screening tool which can alert busy primary care physicians to those patients with one or more anxiety disorders. The study is published in the March 6, 2007 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

UCLA Study Details Clues As to Why Graves' Disease Attacks the Eyes

UCLA researchers have uncovered new clues that may explain why Graves’ disease (GD) attacks the muscle tissue behind the eyes, often causing them to bulge painfully from their sockets, as in the late actor Marty Feldman.

Be Careful Using Antithyroid Drugs When You're Having Radioactive Iodine

You'll want to be especially careful taking antithyroid drugs (i.e., Tapazole, methimazole, PTU) in the time frame around when you're having radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment. Researchers have just reported in the British Medical Journal that being treated with antithyroid medication is linked to an increased risk of failed radioiodine treatment treatment if they are given in the week before or after radioiodine treatment.

Definitely something you'll want to discuss with the doctor.

You can also print out the full text of the article, which is being made available as an "epub" ahead of actualy publication in the BMJ.

Source: Walter MA, et. al. "Effects of antithyroid drugs on radioiodine treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials." British Medical Journal -- BMJ. 2007 Feb 20; Epub ahead of print